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TOWER IN THE ICEA Short Adventure for Four 9th-Level Player Characters

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A round building with an impossibly tall, conical roofseemingly rises from a frozen lake. Is this structure assmall as it looks, or does more lie hidden beneath thewater’s icy surface?

Tower in the Ice is a short adventure for four 9th-levelcharacters. The scenario is set in a cold wilderness areathat features a frozen lake. The action takes place in asubmerged tower that lies largely below the ice. Asalways, feel free to adapt the material presented here asyou see fit to make it work with your campaign.

PREPARATIONYou (the DM) need the D&D core rulebooks—thePlayer’s Handbook, the Dungeon Master’s Guide, and theMonster Manual—to run this adventure. A copy ofFrostburn would also be helpful, though it is not neces-sary to run the adventure. This scenario utilizes theD&D v.3.5 rules.

To get started, print out the adventure. Readthrough the scenario at least once to familiarize your-self with the situation, threats, and major NPCs in thetower (particularly their motivations).

Text that appears in shaded boxes is player informa-tion that you can read aloud or paraphrase for theplayers at the proper times.

ADVENTUREBACKGROUND

Many centuries ago, an evil ogre mage built a talltower in an arctic vale. Adventurers eventuallydefeated him and looted his tower, leaving it empty fordecades.

Almost fifty years later, a geological upheavalflooded the vale, submerging all but the tower’s upper-most level. Because of the cold temperatures in thearea, this new lake soon froze, masking the massivestructure beneath the water level. Only its topmostportion still protruded from the ice.

A few years ago, a half-fiend/half-green hag namedPuennoki decided that the chilly and flooded towerwould be an ideal abode and moved in. Shortly there-after, she found her soulmate—a half-fiend/half-annisnamed Chirkka. This horrid pair hopes to locate andrecruit a third hag to form a covey. So far, however,they have found only Hoinnia, a tiefling rogue whohas recently joined their group.

This loathsome trio has shared several adventuresthat involved terrorizing the local tribesfolk. The threehave managed to exact tribute from these nomadic

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hunters in the form of meat, ivory, and the occasionalsacrifice.

ADVENTURE SYNOPSISThe characters can approach and enter the tower inany fashion that proves feasible for them, but the mostlikely point of entry is through the top floor. There thePCs meet Hoinnia, who pretends to welcome them tothe abode of a famous a wise woman who is veryknowledgeable about arctic birds and other wildlife.Hoinnia invites the PCs to wait while she fetches heremployer.

If the PCs agree, the tiefling takes her leave andplunges into the tower’s lower levels, where shesounds the alarm. The denizens of the tower thenorganize a massed attack against the PCs.

If the characters decide to enter the tower via anunderwater entrance, or if they detect Hoinnia’s ruse,they have a chance to deal with the tower’s inhabitantsone at a time.

ADVENTURE HOOKSAs DM, you know best how to involve your PCs in anadventure. The tower’s odd appearance alone mighttempt anyone who sees it to investigate further, but ifyour players aren’t sufficiently curious, you can useone of the following suggestions to draw them intothe action.

• The nomads in the area have recently grabbedseveral travelers and are now ready to deliver themto the hags as tribute. The characters might knowthe victims, or an interested party might hire themto mount a rescue. When the PCs confront the tribe,the nomads offer to surrender the captives inexchange for the heads of “the three weird sisters”(Puennoki, Chirkka, and Hoinnia), who they believeare powerful sorceresses. The nomads have neverseen the hags in their true forms, so the only “sorcer-ess” they can truly describe is Hoinnia. However,they do know where the tower is located.

• Local bards relate tales and legends of an eccentricold woman who lives on an island on a frozen lake.This person is reputed to be an avid ornithologistwho will pay generously for any unusual avian speci-mens that anyone cares to bring. (Puennoki isindeed an avid collector of birds, and she’s glad toget new ones. She also loves to eat the people whoprovide them.) Someone might hire the PCs to

deliver a bird and bring back the payment, orperhaps the party finds a rare specimen and thenhears the tale in town.

• The ogre mage who first built the tower was infa-mous for stealing a powerful, good-aligned magicweapon. He was unwilling to destroy the valuablesword, so he kept it as a trophy. Legends say thesword remains concealed in the tower to this veryday. The tales might be completely wrong, orperhaps the sword really is somewhere in the tower.Puennoki might have it hidden in her treasure cache(see area 7), or she and her allies might be unawareof its existence. Perhaps the sword lies hidden in asecret niche in the study (area 1), or in one of thearmories (area 16).

BEGINNING THEADVENTURE

Tower in the Ice is a site-based adventure in which theaction occurs inside the ice-locked tower of Puennokiand friends. It begins as soon as the PCs approach thetower.

THE TOWER AND ENVIRONS

The tower rises from the bed of a frozen lake or a shal-low arm of the sea. It can be located in any frigidwilderness location. The area might be frozen yearround, or perhaps winter merely reigns at the time thePCs are visiting the place.

In either case, the area around the tower is bitterlycold. A character must have a cold-weather outfit (seepage 131 in the Player’s Handbook) to be fully protectedagainst the cold weather. A furred animal is consid-ered to have partial protection.

Daytime temperatures hover around –20°Fahrenheit, and each unprotected character mustsucceed on a Fortitude save every 10 minutes (DC 15,+1 per previous check) or take 1d6 points of nonlethaldamage. A partially protected character need checkonly once per hour. At night, the temperatures drop atleast 10 degrees. Though the air feels colder, the lowertemperature doesn’t pose any additional danger tocharacters.

The water surrounding (and flooding) the tower iseven colder than the air. An unprotected charactertakes 1d6 points of cold damage per 10 minutes (no

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save) while submerged and must make a Fortitudesave (DC 15, +1 per previous check) or take 1d4 pointsof nonlethal damage as well. Anyone wearing metalarmor or in contact with very cold metal is affected asif by a chill metal spell. A partially protected charactertakes the same damage and makes the same savingthrows as an unprotected character, but only once perhour instead of every 10 minutes. An endure elementsspell or cold resistance of at least 5 provides protectionagainst the cold water. A cold-weather outfit offerspartial protection, but only for the first 10 minutes ofexposure if it isn’t waterproof.

UNDERWATER ADVENTURINGBecause four of the tower’s five levels are completelyflooded, reviewing the material on underwater combat(pages 92 and 93 in the Dungeon Master’s Guide) isextremely helpful for running this adventure.Characters must typically swim to get around on theflooded levels. Within the tower, the water is calm,and a character can move by making a DC 10 Swimcheck. Success allows him to swim at one-quarter ofhis land speed as a move action or at one-half his landspeed as a full-round action. Creatures without swimspeeds can charge while swimming (provided they canmove at least 10 feet before attacking), but they cannotrun, withdraw, or take a 5-foot step while swimming.

A creature that carries sufficient weight to hold itdown can also simply walk along the tower’s floors ifdesired. The items carried for this purpose must benonbulky and nonbuoyant. The amount of weightrequired depends on the character’s size, according tothe following table.

Size Weight RequiredFine 1 lb.Diminutive 2 lb.Tiny 4 lb.Small 8 lb.Medium 16 lb.Large 32 lb.Huge 64 lb.Gargantuan 128 lb.Colossal 256 lb.

When a creature walks underwater, its movement ishampered. Unless it has a swim speed, it pays at least10 feet of movement instead of the usual 5 feet toenter a square. When moving diagonally into a squarewhere movement is hampered, it must pay at least 15feet of movement. A creature cannot charge, run, ortake a 5-foot step while its movement is hampered.

In addition, creatures need some way to breathewhile underwater. For player characters, a waterbreathing spell or similar magic is the best bet. Thedenizens of the tower keep a few potions of waterbreathing in the upper levels for guests (or prisoners)who might need them.

TOWER INTERIORThe tower is a five-story stone structure, of which onlythe topmost floor is not flooded. The major features ofthe structure are as follows.

WallsAll the tower’s walls are stone, and the elementshaven’t been kind to them. The exterior walls protrud-ing above the waterline are heavily weathered. Thoseunderwater are in better shape but covered withaquatic slime.ss Exterior Walls: 5 ft. thick; hardness 8; hp 450;

break DC 41; Climb DC 15.Though the interior walls are also covered with

slime in the lower four levels, they are in much bettercondition than the exterior walls.ss Interior Walls: 2 ft. thick; hardness 8; hp 180;

break DC 37; Climb DC 20.Any character not carrying a heavy load gains a +8

circumstance bonus on Climb checks made under-water, since her buoyancy makes climbing fairly easy.

CeilingsThe ceilings within the tower are 25 feet high unlessotherwise noted in an individual area description.

FloorsAll the floors are made of fairly smooth stone.Movement across them is not impeded, but see thenotes on underwater adventuring for the effect ofwater on movement in the lower levels.

DoorsExcept for the ones on the lower level, all the tower’sdoors are made of reinforced wood that has been wellpreserved against the elements. None of the doors arelocked, but most are stuck. Those that are submergedare extremely difficult to open, thanks to swellingwood and extra resistance from the water. Add +5 tothe indicated DCs to open or break down doors under-water. The tower residents are familiar with each door’sidiosyncrasies, and each “sister” gains a +5 circumstancebonus on Strength checks made to open them.

The residents keep supplies of small rocks on handto wedge the doors shut in case of attack. Wedging adoor requires a full-round action.

ss Strong Wooden Doors: 2 in. thick; hard-ness 5; hp 20; open DC 15, break DC 25.

WindowsAll the tower’s windows are made of crystal-clearleaded glass panes set in a bronze lattice. The latticesare hinged and can be opened like shutters, thoughthey are usually held closed by simple but stronglatches. Their mechanisms are somewhat stiff, so eachlatch requires a DC 10 Strength check to operate. Alatch cannot be opened from outside an intact window,but anyone can reach in through a broken window andopen its latch. Like the doors, the windows are moredifficult to open or break when submerged, and each ofthe tower residents gains a +5 circumstance bonus onStrength checks made to open them.

On levels 1–3, the windows provide access to thetower interior.ssWindow Lattices: 2 in. thick; hardness 8; hp

50; open DC 15 (unlatched), break DC 25 (latched).ssGlass Window Panes: 1/2 in. thick; hardness 1;

hp 2; break DC 7.

LightNone of the areas within the tower are lighted unlessotherwise noted.

LEVEL ONEThis level is the topmost floor of the tower, and theonly one that’s above water. Unlike the other stories,this onw has a conical roof that rises to a height of 50feet at the center and slopes down to about 20 feet atthe outer walls. The whole roof, with its maze ofwooden rafters, is open to the level below. The interiorwalls in this level are only 25 high, so characters canclimb or fly over the walls to get from one area to anadjacent one.

APPROACHING THE LEVEL (EL 6)The windows in the tower’s top level are about 15 feetabove the lake’s frozen surface. The open windows inarea 1 are visible from at least 100 yards away.

Trap: Characters walking across the ice find a gapof open water about a foot wide all around the tower.The ice is brittle in this area, and unwary charactersmight fall into the lake when the ice breaks awayunderfoot.

Brittle Ice Trap: CR 5, location trigger, no reset,DC 20 Reflex save avoids, Search DC 20; DisableDevice DC —. Market Price: —.

Anytime a character weighing 100 pounds or morecomes within 10 feet of the gap, roll 1d6. On a roll of 1,the ice crumbles and the character must make asuccessful DC 20 Reflex save or fall through into thefrigid water below. Anyone within 5 feet of the charac-ter must also make a Reflex save at the same DC or fallin. Any character weighing 300 pounds or more whocomes within 5 feet of the gap automatically breaksthrough the ice. A DC 15 Survival or Search checkreveals that the ice near the gap is unstable.

Development: The denizens of the tower mightspot characters approaching from the east, west, ornortheast. See the Tactics sections of areas 1, 2, and 3for details.

1. SUNSET CHAMBER (EL 8–10)This area once served as a study and library, but thesedays it’s just a guardpost.

Creatures: Either Hoinnia (see AdventureBackground) or a pair of ettin guards keeps watch hereat all times (50% chance that either is present). Whennot on watch here, Hoinnia is in her room (area 2),and the ettins are in their barracks (area 3).

Hoinnia has scaly skin, wicked-looking eyes, andtwo small horns protruding from her forehead. Shewears a hood that conceals the horns, but her overallappearance should alert the PCs to her otherworldlynature. A DC 10 Knowledge (the planes) check revealsthat she is a tiefling.DDHoinnia: Female tiefling rogue 7; CR 7;

Medium outsider (native); HD 7d6+7; hp 31; Init +4;Spd 30 ft.; AC 21, touch 15, flat-footed 21; Base Atk +5;Grp +7; Atk or Full Atk +10 melee (1d6+3/18–20,masterwork rapier) or +10 ranged (1d6+3/�3, +1composite shortbow [+2 Str bonus]); SA darkness, sneakattack +4d6; SQ darkvision 60 ft., resistances (cold 5,electricity 5, fire 5), trap sense +2, trapfinding,uncanny dodge; AL CE; SV Fort +3, Ref +9, Will +3; Str 14, Dex 18, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 6.

This semicircular chamber has an open ceiling,and the frigid wind blowing through the openwindows has created a rime of frost on theexposed rafters. Empty shelves line the east wall,stretching from the floor as far up as a giant couldreach. Above them is an open space. A batteredwooden table about chin high to a human and afew threadbare chairs big enough to seat ogrescomplete the décor.

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Skills and Feats: Balance +6, Bluff +9, Diplomacy+2, Escape Artist +13, Hide +15, Intimidate +0,Jump +4, Listen +10, Move Silently +13, Search +10,Sense Motive +10, Sleight of Hand +15, Swim +11,Tumble +13; Blind-Fight, Dodge, Weapon Finesse.

Languages: Common, Draconic, Infernal.Darkness (Sp): Hoinnia can use darkness (caster

level 7th) once per day.Sneak Attack (Ex): Hoinnia deals 4d6 extra

points of damage on any successful attack against flat-footed or flanked targets, or against a target that hasbeen denied its Dexterity bonus for any reason. Thisdamage also applies to ranged attacks against targetsup to 30 feet away. Creatures with concealment, crea-tures without discernible anatomies, and creaturesimmune to extra damage from critical hits are allimmune to sneak attacks. Hoinnia may choose todeliver nonlethal damage with her sneak attack, butonly when using a weapon designed for that purpose,such as a sap (blackjack).

Evasion (Ex): If Hoinnia is exposed to any effectthat normally allows her to attempt a Reflex savingthrow for half damage, she takes no damage with asuccessful saving throw.

Trapfinding (Ex): Hoinnia can find, disarm, orbypass traps with a DC of 20 or higher. She can use theSearch skill to find, and the Disable Device skill todisarm, magic traps (DC 25 + the level of the spell usedto create it). If her Disable Device result exceeds thetrap’s DC by 10 or more, she discovers how to bypassthe trap without triggering or disarming it.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Hoinnia retains herDexterity bonus to Armor Class even when flat-footedor targeted by an unseen foe (she still loses herDexterity bonus if paralyzed or otherwise immobile).

Possessions: +1 mithral chain shirt, amulet of naturalarmor +1, ring of protection +1, masterwork rapier, +1composite shortbow (+2 Str bonus) with 20 arrows, potionof cat’s grace, 2 potions of cure light wounds.DD Ettins (2): hp 65 each; see Monster Manual, page

106. Both ettins wear cold-weather outfits under theirarmor.

Tactics: Both Hoinnia and the ettins keep watchout the chamber’s open windows while on duty here.If the ettins see anyone approaching, one of them runsto area 2 to fetch Hoinnia while the other blocks oneof the windows. The ettins have orders to let visitorsapproach, so the ettin remaining in the room juststares dumbly at the PCs until attacked or untilHoinnia arrives.

While standing in the window, the ettin has cover(+4 to AC). If attacked, he throws javelins or swingsclubs. If the foes are beyond both melee reach andjavelin range, he is smart enough to close and latchthe windows, then move to area 4 and wedge thedoor shut.

If Hoinnia sees anyone approaching while she is onguard, or when she is summoned to the room, shegreets the newcomers in Common, asking if they havebrought something for her mistress. No matter whatthe reply, she invites the visitors in, though she makesno attempt to help them enter the tower.

If a fight breaks out in this chamber, the ettin guardin area 3 joins the fray after 2 rounds. If Hoinnia ishere, she slips away to area 2 as soon as she can andmakes a quiet investigation, as noted in theDevelopment section of that entry.

In a fight, Hoinnia uses her Tumble skill to stayaway from dangerous foes and to set up sneak attackswhen possible. She holds off invaders until the ettinguards can arrive from area 3, then uses her Tumbleskill to disengage. Once clear of the fight, she swimsdown to area 7 on level 2 or area 10 on level 3 to getPuennoki, using her darkness ability to deter pursuit ifnecessary. Hoinnia receives water breathing spells fromPuennoki every few hours, so she usually doesn’t haveto worry about breathing on the tower’s lower levels. Ifshe loses her water breathing to a dispel magic effect, shegoes to her room (area 2) and quaffs one of the potions ofwater breathing hidden there before leaving this level.

Development: The windows in this chamber giveanyone inside a fairly clear view to the west. Thesentries have no difficulty spotting visible creaturesapproaching the tower from that direction.

If the PCs enter the tower peacefully, Hoinnia chatswith them for a while. If they seem to distrust herbecause of her otherworldly characteristics, Hoinniawarns them that they ought not to judge others by theirappearances. Hoinnia’s visage reflects her nature fairlyaccurately, but she’s pretty good at bluffing. A particu-larly suspicious PC can make a Sense Motive check(opposed by Hoinnia’s Sense Motive check). To a char-acter who loses the check, Hoinnia seems credible. Onewho wins, however, realizes that she is just as nasty asshe looks, and that she is probably just stringing thevisitors along until she can set them up for a fight.

If the PCs converse with Hoinnia for any length oftime without attacking, she acknowledges that heremployer is a wise woman, and that she is very knowl-edgeable about birds and other avian creatures. Duringthe conversation, Hoinnia uses her Sense Motive skill

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to get a general idea of the characters’ purpose in visit-ing the tower.

If she suspects that the PCs are invaders, shelaunches a quick attack, hoping to catch her foes offguard and make a sneak attack. Then she shouts forreinforcements. Hoinnia doesn’t speak Giant, so shecan’t give detailed orders to the ettins, but they under-stand her tone. When she can, she breaks away fromthe fight and goes to find Puennoki, as noted in theTactics section above.

If Hoinnia thinks the PCs are fairly harmless, sheinvites them to make themselves as comfortable asthey can, then goes to find Puennoki. Before leavingthe room, she warns the visitors not to leave thischamber, claiming that the tower is old and ricketyand not at all safe for people who aren’t accustomed toits quirks. Her admonition does contain an element oftruth, but she really just wants to discourage the PCsfrom poking around the tower while she’s gone.

If the ettins are on guard here and fight breaks outin area 2 or 3, one ettin checks out the disturbanceafter 2 rounds, and the second ettin follows in another2 rounds if the first one does not return.

2. HOINNIA’S CHAMBER (EL 0 OR 8)This area was once a sitting room, but now it serves asHoinnia’s bedchamber.

The crate contains about 100 pounds of lignite, a softbrown coal that burns with a smoky flame. Hoinnia iscold resistant, but she doesn’t like to feel chilly, so shekeeps a low fire going in this room all the time. Shehas draped a big piece of canvas overhead to help holdin the heat. If the PCs can reach it, they can easily tearit away, revealing the rafters and the roof above (seeTower Interior for details).

The wardrobe contains normal clothing and a fewodd bits of adventuring gear, including a 100-foot coilof hemp rope and a steel mirror.

Creatures: Hoinnia is here 50% of the time.When she’s not here, she’s keeping watch in area 1.

Hoinnia: hp 31; see area 1 for statistics.Tactics: When Hoinnia is in this room, she spends

most of her time either dozing in bed or gazing out thewindow (50% chance for each). If she’s looking out thewindow, she spots any visible characters approachingthe tower from the northeast. Otherwise, she uses thetactics noted for her in area 1.

Development: Any loud noise in this chamberbrings the guards from area 3 in 1 round and oneguard from area 1 in 2 rounds. The remaining guardfollows from area 1 after 2 more rounds if the firstguard does not return.

If Hoinnia is here and a fight breaks out in area 1 or3, she quietly climbs the wall and peers into the nextchamber to see what’s happening. Any PC who mightsee or hear her should make a Spot check opposed byHoinnia’s Hide check and a Listen check opposed byher Move Silently check. Once Hoinnia has assessedthe situation, she either fetches Puennoki from area 7or 10 immediately, or joins the fray for a round or twobefore going to get the hag. Usually, she doesn’t usethe latter option unless the intruders notice her or shegets a chance to make a sneak attack. In a fight, sheuses the tactics noted for her in area 1.

Treasure: Some of the furs on the bed are valu-able, though they are none too clean. A DC 15 Searchor Appraise check reveals three salable furs, eachworth 150 gp. In addition, a stone coffer buried in thebrazier holds four portions of water breathing, which areprotected from the heat by the thick walls of theircontainer. Dumping out the contents of the brazierautomatically reveals the box, or a character probinginside the brazier can attempt a DC 25 Search check tolocate it. Any character digging through the burningcoals or handling the box takes 1d4 points of firedamage each round that he remains in contact with it.If the PCs dump the brazier, the whole mess coolsdown in 10 minutes.

3. BARRACKS (EL 6–10)This former bedchamber now serves as a barracks forthree ettins that the “sisters” keep here to guard thecomplex. The chamber looks much like area 2, exceptthat it has no canvas ceiling, and its only furnishingsare a crude wooden table with two equally crudebenches. Crowded into the room’s south end are twobig piles of moss that serve as beds for the ettins.

Creatures: Three ettins live in this chamber, butall three of them are present only 50% of the time. The

This chamber is comfortably warm, a blue hazewith a faintly sulfurous odor fills the air. Abrazier filled with smoldering coals seems to bethe source of this effect. Next to the brazierstands a wooden crate filled with brownish coal.

The room is roughly square and has a singlewindow. Some kind of sagging canvas trap formsa ceiling of sorts that hangs perhaps 20 feet abovethe floor. A few furs serve as rugs, and a bedheaped with more furs stands against the westwall. A wardrobe made of rough planks and afootstool round out the furnishings.

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rest of the time, one ettin is here and the other two areon guard duty in area 1.DD Ettins (1 or 3): hp 65 each; see Monster Manual,

page 106. The ettins wear cold-weather outfits undertheir armor.

Tactics: Like Hoinnia in area 2, a lone ettin alter-nately dozes and keeps watch out the window to theeast. If she sees visitors or is attacked, she callsHoinnia. The tiefling can’t understand the ettin’sspeech, but she knows when the creature is trying tocall her. If all three ettins are here, two of them dozewhile the third watches out the window. Otherwise,the ettins use the tactics described in area 1.

Development: If only one ettin is here, any loudnoise from this chamber brings one ettin from area 1in 2 rounds, and the second 2 rounds later if the firstfails to return. In addition, any disturbance in thischamber brings an immediate reaction from Hoinniaif she’s in area 2, as noted in the Development sectionfor that entry.

4. HALLThis long chamber is usually empty, though an ettinmight try to block it off, as noted in the area 1 entry.

5. STAIRWELLThe spiral staircase in this chamber descends 30 feet toarea 8 on level 2.

LEVELS TWO TO FIVEThe lower levels of the tower are flooded. The waterlevel is located about 5 feet down the stairs that leaddown from area 5 on level 1. A thin rime of ice coversthe surface of the water, but the PCs can breakthrough it easily.

6. SERGEANTS’ CHAMBERS (EL 8)These two rooms serve as bedchambers for the under-water denizens of the tower. Read or paraphrase thefollowing when the PCs enter.

The net serves as a bed for the occupant of this room,the rocks serve as chairs, and the stone box functions

as a trunk. This last item contains a few articles ofogre-sized clothing (none of them in good repair), plus two bundles of crossbow bolts (10 each), a whet-stone, and some spare netting.

Creatures: One fiendish merrow warrior lives ineach of these chambers. At any given time, one ofthese sergeants is in his room, and the other is onguard in area 7.

Tactics: The merrows keep their windows closedbut unlatched while in their rooms. In a fight, theoccupant of either chamber raps the floor with the buttof his longspear (a free action) and then stabs at any foewithin reach, using his smite good ability with his firstattack. If reduced to 15 or fewer hit points, the merrowswims out the window and proceeds to area 7, wherehe grabs the hidden loot. Unless he thinks he has agreat deal of time, he doesn’t bother with the coins; hesimply snatches the jewels and leaves. If pursued fromthis room, he turns and fights to the death.

Development: The merrows rap on the floor toalert whoever is in area 7, as well as the guards in area9 on the level below. See the Development sections inthose entries for details.

If summoned to area 7 by a tap on the wall, themerrow first taps on the floor, then swims out thewindow to area 7 to survey the situation there. On theway, he drinks his potion of haste and potion of bull’sstrength.DD Sergeants (2): Male fiendish merrow warrior 3;

CR 6; Large giant (aquatic, extraplanar); HD 7d8+17;hp 48; Init –1; Spd 30 ft., swim 40 ft.; AC 17, touch 8,flat-footed 17; Base Atk +6; Grp +15; Atk +12(1d8+8/�3, +1 longspear) or +11 melee (1d4+5/19–20,masterwork dagger) or +5 ranged (1d10/19–20, master-work heavy crossbow); Full Atk +12/+7 (1d8+8/�3, +1longspear) or +11/+6 melee (1d4+5/19–20, masterworkdagger) or +5 ranged (1d10/19–20, masterwork heavycrossbow); Space/Reach 10 ft./10 ft.; SA smite good;SQ damage reduction 5/magic, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, resistances (cold 5, fire 5), spell resistance12; AL CE; SV Fort +9, Ref +1, Will +2; Str 21, Dex 8,Con 15, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 7.

Skills and Feats: Climb +6, Hide –7, Listen +2, Spot+2, Swim +12; Power Attack, Toughness, WeaponFocus (longspear).

Languages: Common, Giant.Smite Good (Su): Once per day, a fiendish

merrow warrior can make a normal melee attack anddeal an extra +7 points of damage against a good foe.

Possessions: +1 hide armor, +1 longspear, masterworkdagger, masterwork heavy crossbow with 10 bolts,

Along the south wall of this chamber hangs amassive net with many layers and folds.Anchored as it is to both floor and ceiling, itresembles an old cobweb. Nearby stands a water-logged wooden table, and beside it are twosmooth rocks with concave tops. A stone box hasbeen pushed up against the north wall.

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potion of bull’s strength, potion of cure moderate wounds,potion of cure light wounds, potion of haste.

7. GALLERY (EL 6 OR 9)A bizarre sight awaits the characters in this chamber.Read or paraphrase the following when they arrive.

The preserved birds are the specimens that Puennokihas collected over the years. She’s no taxidermist, soshe simply freezes them. The collection has somevalue to a scholar, but the specimens rapidly decom-pose if allowed to thaw.

Creatures: A merrow warrior always stands watchin here (see area 6 for statistics). In addition, Puennokiherself has a 25% chance to be here, gazing at hercollection of frozen birds.

Merrow: hp 48; see area 6 for statistics.Puennoki: hp 58; see area 10 for statistics.Tactics: The merrows keep one of the room’s

windows (usually the one closest to the off-dutymerrow in area 6) closed but unlatched. If confrontedhere alone, the merrow guard taps on the wall to alerthis off-duty comrade, then stabs at the nearest foeusing his smite good ability. The merrow keeps fight-ing until help arrives, then disengages long enough toquaff a potion or two before rejoining the fight.Throughout the battle, the merrow tries to use hisswim speed and reach to stay away from dangerousfoes. He is smart enough to aim his attacks at spellcast-ers or foes who with ranged attacks whenever possible.

If Puennoki is in here, she uses the tactics noted forher in area 10. While she is alive, any merrows here fightto the death. If Puennoki is slain, the merrows flee,

Development: A fight in here draws the merrowfrom area 6 after 2 rounds and those in area 9 after 4rounds. If Puennoki isn’t already here, she joins themerrows coming from area 9.

Treasure: A loose stone near the center of thefloor conceals a niche (DC 25 Search check) crammedwith some ordinary loot that Puennoki and her

minions have managed to gather. Inside are 800 gp,320 pp, 16 lapis lazuli gems (worth 10 gp each), 7 peri-dots (worth 50 gp each), 19 golden pearls (worth 100gp each), 3 black pearls (worth 500 gp each), and anivory choker with gold fittings (worth 90 gp).

8. STAIRWELLThe spiral staircase in this area rises 30 feet to area 5 onlevel l. It also descends 30 feet to area 11 on level 3.

9. BARRACKS (EL 10)These four chambers resemble area 6, except that eachcontains three sleeping nets.

Creatures: Three fiendish merrow guards live ineach chamber, though only two of each group are pres-ent at any given time. The remaining merrows are onduty in area 16 on level 5.DD Guards (8): Male and female fiendish merrow;

CR 4; Large giant (aquatic, extraplanar); HD 4d8+11;hp 29; Init –1; Spd 30 ft., swim 40 ft.; AC 16, touch 8,flat-footed 16; Base Atk +3; Grp +12; Atk or Full Atk+8 (1d8+7/�3, longspear) or +7 melee (1d4+5/19–20,dagger) or +1 ranged (1d10/19–20, heavy crossbow);Space/Reach 10 ft./10 ft.; SQ damage reduction5/magic, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, resist-ances (cold 5, fire 5), spell resistance 9; AL CE; SVFort +6, Ref +0, Will +1; Str 21, Dex 8, Con 15, Int 6,Wis 10, Cha 7.

Skills and Feats: Climb +6, Hide –7, Listen +2, Spot+2, Swim +9; Toughness, Weapon Focus (longspear).

Languages: Common, Giant.Smite Good (Su): Once per day, a fiendish

merrow can make a normal melee attack and deal anextra +4 points of damage against a good foe.

Possessions: Masterwork hide armor, longspear,dagger, heavy crossbow with 10 bolts.

Tactics: In a fight, the guards use their smite goodability as quickly as they can. They generally attack theclosest foe unless a sergeant, Puennoki, or Chirkkaorders them to do otherwise.

Development: The guards quickly notice anyfighting on this level or on the levels above or belowit. (Even if their comrades don’t alert them by thump-ing on the floors or ceilings, sound carries very wellthrough stone and water.) After a round or two, theguards gather up their weapons and head for the sceneof the action. One of them, however, takes the time toalert Puennoki in area 10 (if she’s there) or goes up toarea 7 to fetch her. Likewise, when Puennoki is in area10, she notices any fighting in the barracks. Whenheading for a fight, the guards usually use the stairwell

This big, semicircular chamber has a bank of threewindows along its curving north wall. The inte-rior is choked with dozens—if not hundreds—ofblocks of clear ice that float above the floor onthin tethers. Each block contains some kind ofbird. The variety represented here is nothingshort of astounding—from miniscule humming-birds floating in fist-sized blocks to great eagles inblocks as big as a horse. The whole mass looks likesome sort of macabre underwater forest.

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(area 11), but they may also swim through windows ofthe appropriate size if the target level has any.

10. PUENNOKI’S ROOM (EL 8)This chamber has a macabre décor that befits itsoccupant. Read or paraphrase the following when thePCs enter.

The bones in here are all trophies from Puennoki’scombat victories over the years. The birds and otheranimals packed in ice are recent additions to her collec-tion that she has not yet added to the gallery (area 7).

Creatures: Puennoki is here 75% of the time,gazing at her trophies and laying plans for collectingmore. The rest of the time, she’s in area 7 enjoying thetrophies she has stashed there.DD Puennoki: Female half-fiend/half-green hag;

CR 7; Medium outsider (augmented monstroushumanoid, native); HD 9d8+18; hp 58; Init +2; Spd 30ft., swim 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (average); AC 24, touch 12,flat-footed 22; Base Atk +9; Grp +14; Atk +14 melee(1d4+5, claw); Full Atk +14 melee (1d4+5, 2 claws) and+9 melee (1d6+2, bite); SA mimicry, smite good, spell-like abilities, weakness; SQ damage reduction 5/magic,darkvision 90 ft., immunity to poison, outsider traits,resistances (acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10),spell resistance 19; AL CE; SV Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +7;Str 21, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 19, Wis 13, Cha 18.

Skills and Feats: Bluff +10, Concentration +14,Diplomacy +12, Heal +7, Hide +14, Intimidate +6,Knowledge (arcana) +10, Knowledge (geography) +10,Knowledge (religion) +10, Knowledge (the planes) +16,Listen +15, Spot +15, Survival +7, Swim +13; Alertness,Blind-Fight, Combat Casting, Great Fortitude.

Languages: Abyssal, Aquan, Common, Draconic,Giant, Infernal.

Mimicry (Ex): Puennoki can imitate the soundsof almost any animal found near her lair.

Smite Good (Su): Once per day, Puennoki canmake a normal melee attack and deal an extra +9points of damage against a good foe.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will—dancing lights,disguise self, ghost sound (DC 15), invisibility, pass withouttrace, tongues, water breathing; 3/day—darkness, poison(DC 18); 1/day contagion (DC 17), desecrate, unholyblight (DC 18). Caster level 9th.

Weakness (Su): Puennoki can weaken a foe bymaking a special touch attack (+14 touch). The oppo-nent must succeed on a DC 18 Fortitude save or take2d4 points of Strength damage.

Outsider Traits: Darkvision 60 ft.; cannot beraised or resurrected (though a wish or miracle spellcan restore life).

Possessions: Potion of cure serious wounds, 2 potions of curelight wounds, potion of bull’s strength, potion of haste, 2potions of nondetection.

Tactics: If Puennoki has time to prepare for a fight(as she will if she is summoned to a battle elsewhere inthe tower), she drinks a potion of nondetection (and possi-bly her potion of bull’s strength if she thinks the threatmerits it), then casts invisibility on herself and on one ortwo allies. Everyone can see the location of an invisiblecreature underwater because of the visible bubble itleaves, but it still has concealment (20% miss chance).

Upon entering a fight, Puennoki uses unholy blighton as many foes as possible, then selects the mostdangerous-looking fighter-type among the enemiesand concentrates her weakness attacks on them.Once she has weakened a character or two, she usessmite good on the most formidable remaining foe,followed by a claw attack in conjunction with hercontagion ability. When she makes this attack, shemust hit the target’s normal Armor Class. If she hits,she deals claw damage and delivers the contagioneffect. If she misses, she deals no damage but stillholds the contagion effect, which she can try todeliver again the next round.

Development: Like the merrows in area 9,Puennoki quickly notices any fighting on this level oron the ones above or below. In addition, creaturesfrom level 1 or level 5 might come here to confrontvisitors. If the newcomers are hostile, Puennoki losesno time in attacking them. But if Hoinnia or Chirkkahas managed to keep them off guard, Puennoki usesher disguise self ability to pose as a harmless old crank,then greets the visitors personally. She takes a fewrounds to size up the opposition, then tries to attackand eliminate the most dangerous member of theopposing party. In any case, Puennoki sends a merrowto area 1 or 13 to get Chirkka or Hoinnia (or both) andbring them to the scene of the confrontation.

This cramped chamber resembles an underwatercharnel house. Niches in the walls are crammedwith a vast array of skulls, both humanoid andmonstrous. A cocoonlike net hangs in front ofthe single window, and a collection of femursand vertebrae dangle from it like windblownleaves caught in an old spiderweb. Balloonlikechunks of ice, each containing a bird or smallanimal, float above the floor.

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11. STAIRWELLThe spiral staircase in this area rises 30 feet to area 8 onlevel 2. It also descends 30 feet to area 15 on level 4.

12. KITCHENPuennoki and her minions use this chamber toprepare food. Since they’re none too clean about it,however, the room’s condition isn’t any too appetizing.

No one is in this chamber when the PCs arrive.Treasure: The bronze knives are fairly old, and the

entire set is worth 100 gp to a collector.

13. CHIRKKA’S ROOM (EL 8)As with area 10, this room’s contents fit its occupant.

Puennoki and her minions fitted the leather domeover an opening in the floor that connects with area 17on level 5. Then they carried leather bladders full of airinto area 17 until it was completely filled with air. Thedome keeps the air that now fills area 17 from escap-ing through the connecting hole.

The air bubble under the leather dome has an oilysurface that forms a fairly stable air-water interface, socharacters can enter or exit the bubble without disturb-ing the arrangement. If, however, anyone cuts away thenet or slashes open the leather dome, the air bubblebursts, creating a hurricane-force wind that flows fromthe hole in the floor, swirls clockwise around the room,and blasts out the arrow slit in the north wall. Theairflow lasts for 1 round, during which characters inthe room suffer the appropriate wind effects, as notedon page 95 in the Dungeon Master’s Guide.

An opening in the net and the leather gives accessto the air-filled space beneath the leather dome, whichcontains a trunk and a three-legged stool.ss Leather Dome: 1 in. thick; hardness 2; hp 5;

break DC 18.

ssNet: 1 in. thick; hardness 0; hp 2; break DC 23.Creatures: Chirkka, Puennoki’s chief ally, spends

most of her time under the dome. She receives waterbreathing effects from Puennoki every few hours, butshe prefers dry land to underwater living.DDChirkka: Female half-fiend/half-annis; CR 8;

Large outsider (augmented monstrous humanoid,natve); HD 7d8+21; hp 52; Init +3; Spd 40 ft., fly 40 ft.(average); AC 25, touch 13, flat-footed 22; Base Atk +7;Grp +20; Atk +15 melee (1d6+9, claw); Full Atk +15melee (1d6+9, 2 claws) and +10 melee (1d8+4, bite);Space/Reach 10 ft./10 ft.; SA improved grab, rake1d6+9, rend 2d6+10, smite good, spell-like abilities; SQdamage reduction 2/bludgeoning and 5/magic, dark-vision 60 ft., immunity to poison, outsider traits, resist-ances (acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10, fre 10), spellresistance 19; AL CE; SV Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +6; Str 29, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 17, Wis 13, Cha 12.

Skills and Feats: Bluff +11, Diplomacy +15, Hide +9,Intimidate +3, Jump +25, Knowledge (nature) +8,Knowledge (religion) +8, Knowledge (the planes) +8,Listen +13, Move Silently +8, Sense Motive +6, Spot +13,Swim +14, Alertness, Blind-Fight, Great Fortitude.

Languages: Aquan, Common, Giant, Infernal.Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, Chirkka

must hit a Large or smaller opponent with a clawattack. She can then attempt to start a grapple as a freeaction without provoking an attack of opportunity.

Rake (Ex): Attack bonus +15 melee, damage1d6+9. Chirkka can attack a grappled foe with bothclaws at no penalty.

Rend (Ex): If Chirkka hits with both claw attacksshe latches onto the opponent’s body and tears theflesh. This attack automatically deals an extra 2d6+13points of damage.

Smite Good (Su): Once per day, Chirkka canmake a normal melee attack and deal an extra +7points of damage against a good foe.

Spell-Like Abilities: 3/day—disguise self, fogcloud. Caster level 8th. 3/day—darkness, poison(DC 15); 1/day desecrate, unholy blight (DC 15). Casterlevel 7th.

Outsider Traits: Darkvision 60 ft.; cannot beraised or resurrected (though a wish or miracle spellcan restore life).

Possessions: Bracers of armor +1, ring of protection +1,potion of cure moderate wounds, 2 potions of cure lightwounds.

Tactics: In battle, Chirkka uses much the sametactics as Puennoki does (see area 10), though she hasneither contagion nor a weakness ability. Instead, she

An odd-looking dome of oiled leather fills mostof this chamber. The mass looks something like atent, except that a big net lashed to some rings inthe floor seems hold it in place. The whole domeseems to strain upward against the net.

The water in this chamber has a faint red tint,and it looks as murky as a mud puddle. Bits andpieces of entrails, flesh, and bone rest on everysurface. The only furniture is a sturdy-lookingwooden table. Amid the trash on its surface lies ascattered collection of bronze knives.

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uses unholy blight, then tries to use improved grab orrend against a fighter-type, choosing a different targetthan Puennoki if the latter is present.

Development: Chirkka quickly notices any fight-ing on this level or on the ones above or below it.Puennoki sends a guard here to fetch Chirkka whenshe goes to join a fight or meet visitors (see theDevelopment section in area 10).

Any disturbance in this chamber alerts the sentriesin area 16 on level 5.

14. PANTRYThis room is packed with frozen fish and game, mostlywhole, that is kept in place by nets.

15. STAIRWELLThe spiral staircase in this chamber rises 30 feet to area 11on level 2. It also descends 30 feet to area 18 on level 5.

16. GUARDPOSTSThese two areas once served as armories. Read or para-phrase the following when the PCs arrive.

Creatures: Two fiendish merrows lurk behind theempty weapon racks (see area 9 for their tactics). Puennokihas stationed them here to keep an eye on area 17.

Fiendish Merrows (2): hp 29; see area 9 forstatistics.

Development: The merrows are well aware ofthe dangers that area 17 could pose if anyone tamperswith it. Should the air inside be released, they holdon for dear life until the rush of water stops, thenattack any survivors. The merrows also notice distur-bances in area 13 and immediately move to join anyfighting there.

17. ENTRYPuennoki and her allies have filled this chamber withair, creating a bubble that extends through a hole inthe ceiling and into area 13 (see area 13 for details).The arrow slits in this chamber have been blocked tokeep the air inside.

The two pairs of double doors leading out of thisarea are made of bronze, and their hinges are hidden

inside the surrounding stonework. Both sets openoutward from the room. Because this chamber is filledwith air, the tremendous pressure of the surroundingwater holds the doors firmly closed. If the PCs manageto open either set of doors, or simply break them open,tons of water rush into the room, blowing out theother set of doors in the process. Any creature in area16, or outside the tower and within 50 feet of thisroom, must make a DC 35 Strength check or a DC 25Swim check or be dragged along with the flow, taking6d6 points of damage. Each of the merrows in area 16gains a +20 bonus on the check.ssBronze Doors: 3 in. thick; hardness 8; hp 90;

open DC 120, break DC 30.

18. STAIRWELLThe spiral staircase in this chamber rises 30 feet to area15 on level 4.

CONCLUDING THEADVENTURE

The adventure isn’t over until the PCs slay or drive offboth Puennoki and Chirkka. After the two hags havebeen defeated, their troops quickly desert the tower.

FURTHER ADVENTURESThe defeat of Puennoki and Chirkka creates a powervacuum in the surrounding area. Eventually,however, another monster or group of monstersmight move into the tower and take up where thetwo hags left off. A white dragon or one of themonsters featured in the new Frostburn book wouldmake a good tenant for the tower.

ABOUT THE AUTHORSkip Williams keeps busy with freelance projectsfor several different game companies, and he servedas the sage of Dragon Magazine for eighteen years.Skip is a codesigner of the D&D 3rd edition gameand the chief architect of the Monster Manual. Whennot devising swift and cruel deaths for player char-acters, Skip putters in his kitchen or garden (rabbitsand deer are not his friends) or works on repairingand improving the century-old farmhouse that heshares with his wife, Penny, and a growingmenagerie of pets.

This area contains a rickety-looking woodenframe fitted with many slots and hooks. It mayonce have been intended to hold tools or weap-ons, but it’s empty now.